Before the High Middle ages, what are now England and France were divided up into many separate fiefdoms. The feudal system evolved in such a way that the king had little power. The vassals pledged their allegiance to their lords and the peasants pledged their allegiance to the vassals, so it was really the lords who had the power. The kings also had no armies of their own and relied on their vassals for support. The church was also a very powerful force due to the immense amount of control it had over people. The church controlled kings by the power of excommunication and by imposing interdicts against their kingdoms if they challenged the Church.

The English kings didn't like the Church's power, but nothing was done about it until William the Conqueror came to power after a large power struggle. Like other kings he granted fiefs to nobles and the Church, but he kept a large piece of land for himself.

English: John of England signs Magna Carta. Image ...

John_Deere_4630_Tractor.jpg

Svenska: Bonifatius VIII proklamerar Jubelåret 13...

He also kept track of what was built where and when. In one of his smartest moves he made vassals swear their allegiance to him before their lords. This way King William had the last say on everything. He also created a census that logged almost every "castle, field, and pigpen in England." This book was called the Domesday Book, because the name implies that no one can escape it. This book enabled William to create a successful system of tax keeping. This set the stage for William's successors to strengthen the two most important aspects of government, finances and law. His successors created an exchequer, or treasury, to collect taxes; but they didn't just collect taxes, they also collected fees, fines, and other forms of income. In 1154 a smart and energetic king, Henry II, came into...

More European History essays:

... objected to the high spending. Financial problems resulted and many were short term, but they made direct impact on the condition of the armies. During ... of barbarians had moved inside the Roman empire. They had no formal recognition and no fixed home, but before this this the Barabrians had no land ...

... of his military career and the start of his political career. Wellington became Prime Minister of England. Even though he was thought of ... in France. At the age of eighteen, he was commissioned and became lieutenant colonel of ... . La Haye Sainte was a high walled farm house, which protected Wellington ...

... France with membership in the French Academy. Contributions Jacques has made numerous contributions to society. Use of the aqualung and Bathyscaphe has greatly enhanced the ability of researches all over the world. In fact, the popular sport of ... a sense of wonderment about the high technology of this ...

... life of England's reigning monarch in The Queen; The Life of Elizabeth II. Though surveys have revealed that at any one time between 15 and 30% of the English people claim they would prefer a republic, the majority uphold the traditional support of the ...